After initially hoping to begin operations in January last year, the wait for Tesla to finally launch in Israel may soon be over.
Until now Tesla has only had a “small importer” license in the country. This limited it to just 20 vehicles that it could bring into the country. Tesla has now been approved for a commercial import license which has no restrictions on the number of cars it can import into the country.
According to a report from Globes, this is the first time such a license has been awarded directly to an auto manufacturer. Typically this happens through a local dealership or in partnership with one.
With the new license, Tesla will reportedly open the online Design Studio within days, allowing the first customers to place their orders.
The automaker will reportedly also bring a Model Y into the country soon in order to test the vehicle to make sure it meets Israeli standards.
Bringing vehicles into the country isn’t the only avenue of expansion for Tesla in Israel. Earlier this year we reported they were in discussions with several prominent companies in Israel’s insurance and financial sectors in the hopes of launching its own insurance product.
